Summary
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Steam Deck sales reportedly fell ~82% after the price increase, reducing weekly units from ~18k to ~3k.
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Weekly grosses plummeted ~72%, now sitting between $1.2 million and $2.5 million compared to $6 million to $10 million prior to the increase.
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Its “Best Seller” ranking fell from 4-5 to 10-15, indicating a big shift in consumer attitudes.
As the hardware crisis begins to take effect, console manufacturers have had to increase their prices, and the Steam Deck was no exception. We saw the base model rise from $549 to $789, raising concerns that potential buyers may have been priced out. If one report is to be believed, those fears have come true, as Steam Deck sales have plummeted by around 82%.
Steam Deck sales are ~18% of what they were before the increase, says Boiling Steam
If correct, it is a serious blow for Valve.
The report reaches us through boiling steamwhich previously published a report that The Steam Machine sold up to 15,000 units a week.. He did this by looking at the Steam Machine’s position on the best sellers chart and estimating how many units were sold by comparing it to the entries directly above and below it.
Boiling Steam did a similar check on Steam Deck, comparing what the pre-price adjustment was like to the current price adjustment. Since Valve raised the price, the Steam Deck has fallen from the 4-5 range to 10-15. doesn’t sound also Bad turn on paper, especially if Valve makes more money per sale now, but Boiling Steam crunched some numbers and found something concerning:
|
Metric |
Preset (2025) |
Post-adjustment (mid-2026) |
Change |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Chart position |
#4 to #5 |
#10 to #15 |
-8 to -10 ranges |
|
Weekly gross income |
From $6.0 million to $10.0 million |
$1.2 million to $2.5 million |
≈ -72% |
|
Average sales price |
~$540 |
~$835 |
+54% |
|
Weekly units sold |
11k to 18k units |
1.4k to 3k units |
≈-82% |
Despite the price increase, the Steam Deck is generating Valve around 72% less money than in 2025. Additionally, the company is selling 82% fewer Steam Decks than before, going from a maximum of 18,000 units to a paltry 3,000. Boiling Steam calls this “a near total collapse of physical demand,” and I’m inclined to agree.
Of course, all of this is extrapolated from public data and is not an exact science. However, it is, at the very least, an educated guess as to how the Steam Deck’s price increase hurt its sales. Overpowered, Valve; at least you are not selling a $5,299 handheld.
